Taking your child in for well-child visits is much more important than you might imagine. By having your child's general health, growth and development evaluated, well-child checkups can reveal problems early and reinforce healthy behavior. They can also establish a relationship with your child's provider so that you'll always know whom to call when your child is sick or injured. Finally, your child's trusting relationship with his or her provider may help establish a lifelong pattern of healthy habits and appropriate use of medical care. "When children are sick, they don't feel like showing their provider how well they walk or talk," says Martha Binn, M.D., family physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Holmen.

WKBT La Crosse, 1/18/2012

Tags: Mayo Clinic Health System, Pediatrics